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Canada’s unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.7% in October, Statistics Canada reported on November 6. Employment was little changed, down an estimated 4,700, while the employment rate slipped 0.1 percentage points to 60.5%.
The number of unemployed people increased by 33,000. October’s unemployment rate was still 0.2 percentage points below a year earlier, despite a second consecutive monthly increase.
Youth and regional differences
For people aged 15 to 24, unemployment rose 0.7 percentage points to 13.7%. For core-aged adults, aged 25 to 54, the rates were unchanged at 5.8% for men and 5.3% for women.
Employment fell by 24,000 in Alberta, where unemployment reached 7.3%, up 0.9 percentage points. British Columbia added 12,000 jobs. National wholesale and retail employment fell by 29,000, while construction gained 16,000 and education added 15,000.
Pay and the survey’s reference period
Average employee hourly wages were C$37.89, up 2.2% from a year earlier. That wage comparison is not seasonally adjusted; the main employment and unemployment figures are seasonally adjusted.
The survey describes October 11 to 17, rather than conditions on publication day. Its Canada-level estimates exclude the territories. Monthly sample estimates can vary more than longer-term trends, so the small headline employment decline should be read alongside the wider pattern and regional tables.
